Stress is ever-present in our daily lives. How many times have you heard those around you, including yourself, say that they’re stressed out?! But what does that exactly mean?

Many times we equate stress with emotional or psychological stress, such as being worried about a job, career, money, health, family, marriage, children, friends, social situations, you name it. The reality is that our bodies do get stressed out for different reasons from the inside out. So let’s first figure out what types of stressors we encounter on the every day:

Cortisol, the “stress hormone”: a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands, which is usually released during times of stress (physical, chemical, and emotional) to maintain homeostasis in the body. With consistent amount of stress bombarding the body, the cortisol is continually released and has serious, negative effects on health, such as stress on the cardiovascular system, decreased immunity, higher risk for type II diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, high blood pressure, and the loss of reproductive health.

Stress can be manageable. Finding some activities to decrease the amount of stress in life can help decrease the damage to the body, mind, and spirit, as well as add years to life and improving vitality. Figuring out a way to make everyday situations less stressful and more manageable is a good way to deal with stress.

Here is a quick and simple method of putting your body into a more relaxed and calm state of mind and body, which can be be practiced into a discipline over time for an improved mood and overall sense of calm:

Sit still and tall somewhere comfortable with a neutral spine

Close the eyes and begin breathing through the nose

Inhale for a count of 2…

Hold the breath in for a count of 2…

Exhale gently, counting out for 4…

Finish by holding the breath out for a count of 2

Keep your breathing even and smooth.

Repeat the cycle 10-15 times.

Return to normal breathing.

Other stress-lowering suggestions may be less intentional and obvious; yet at the same time, these tips will have significant benefits to health improvement and stress-lowering capabilities:

Grounding exercise– easy and free by connecting to the Earth

Stand or sit with bare skin exposed to grass, sand, dirt, or even concrete for 20-plus minutes each day

Practicing any of these stress-relieving techniques each day for even 5 minutes will allow you to raise your awareness and eventually reach the point where this process will become subconscious! You will be able put yourself into a more relaxed and calm state of mind and body, no matter where the stress is coming from!

With chiropractic, keeping the nervous system is the optimal mission and is facilitated though proper spinal health. Chiropractic allows the body to release the accumulated physical, mental, and chemical stress and further allows the appropriate alignment and movement in the spine and its structures. Talk to your local chiropractor today and start on the path to health!

Stress is ever-present in our daily lives. How many times have you heard those around you, including yourself, say that they’re stressed out?! But what does that exactly mean?

Many times we equate stress with emotional or psychological stress, such as being worried about a job, career, money, health, family, marriage, children, friends, social situations, you name it. The reality is that our bodies do get stressed out for different reasons from the inside out. So let’s first figure out what types of stressors we encounter on the every day:

Our stress response starts with the nervous system (NS): brain and the whole neural network that supports it throughout the body. The nervous system is further broken down into a number of subsystems. One of those is the autonomic NS, which regulates many bodily functions without our conscious engagement of a particular body organ. This system is separated into 3 parts:

Sympathetic NS – “Fight-or-flight”

Constantly maintaining a homeostatic balance in the body through stimulating activities

The stress response break-down (very simplified):

Body is preparing itself to either fight or run from the stimulus, by providing more glucose (=food) to the muscles

Hypothalamus has also sent another signal to the adrenal glands to release the stress hormone, cortisol

Cortisol sends amino acids & fatty acids for more food production while sending glucose to the brain for nourishment

Once the threat is over, the body returns back to its basal state of homeostasis (process of a negative feed-back loop)

However, the issue arises when our bodies become overloaded with stress signals and start not to be able to respond appropriately each time the stimulus occurs. The body starts slowly becoming desensitized to a stressor and it is not able to properly engage in a stress response. On the other hand, the body may also become unable to turn off the stress response and will encounter every type of stimulus as a threat.

Some signs that an inappropriate stress response is taking place may include:

Excessive fatigue

Lightheadedness, dizziness

Rapid/slow heart rate

Digestive disturbances (constipation, diarrhea, acid reflux, nausea)

Trouble breathing

Feeling anxious or panicky (non-mental related)

Orthostatic hypotension (drop in blood pressure when standing up suddenly)

And more…

So what do we do about a inappropriate stress response?

First, it is important to identify what type of a stressor we are dealing with. Here are a few suggestions that may lead to further investigation depending on whether the stress is physical, emotional, or chemical:

Physical stress– Main goal is to provide the body with the proper physical and biomechanical environment to properly function and support it through the range of activities without injury and to maximize health! Some examples below:

For injuries or traumas, subluxated vertebra, and optimal physical health: visit your local chiropractor, massage therapist, acupuncturist, and others (for a full list of alternative health care practitioners, here are more suggestions)

For a more serious injury: seek out your medical doctors (IF it is a medical emergency, dial 911!)

For overexertion/strenuous activities: try switching to a less physically demanding activities, if permitting; using proper techniques when lifting and/or exercising to avoid injury

Emotional stress– Main goal is to allow the body and mind to be properly supported and nurtured without judgement! Examples below:

Do deep breathing, yoga, relaxation techniques, exercise or other physical activities, spend time outdoors, and many more….

Recognize that you may need to ask for help from family, friends, or a professional!

Chemical stress – Main goal is provide the body with the proper fuel to be able to perform all of the biochemical processes and to nourish the body to help heal itself from inside out. Examples below:

As you see from this very brief summary, there is a lot that we are exposed to each day in terms of stressors. Each person has its individual threshold that they can manage before it becomes too much. So think about where you and your family fit in this picture?